By Martin Banks - 2nd October 2007
Disabled people from all over Europe will converge in Brussels on Thursday in a mass rally calling for increased rights.
Over 1000 people with disabilities will take part in the protest outside the commission's Berlaymont HQ.
A petition of one million signatures will be handed to European commission president Jose Manuel Barroso to challenge the EU’s ‘failure’ to honour a promise to bring forward an EU-wide law against disability discrimination.
Spearheading the campaign is UK Socialist MEP Richard Howitt who said the demand represents an “acid test” of whether Europe will continue to legislate to advance social rights.
People from disabled persons organisations across the EU are travelling to Brussels to take part in this rally.
Howitt, president of parliament's all-party disability rights group, said, "This protest marks the next chapter in the history of civil rights marches which started in America in the 1960's and tomorrow arrives in Brussels.
"Despite all the advances of recent years, Europe still has no equivalent of the American Disabilities Act, and disabled people here continue to suffer as victims of denied educational opportunity, restricted housing choice and inaccessible transport."
"Europe rightly outlawed race discrimination seven years ago, and at that time promised there would be no hierarchy of discrimination and that a disability law would follow.
“For all the talk of Social Europe, respect for fundamental rights, and yet another awareness raising year of Equal Opportunities, Europe's failure to act and bring forward the long planned legislation, raises real questions as to whether Europe will ever again legislate for social rights.
"If not for disabled people, for whom?"
His comments were echoed by Irish MEP Kathy Sinnott, a member of the Independence/Democracy group, who helped launch the petition and personally gathered signatures in Ireland in the summer.
She said, “I am delighted that, this week, we have reached our target of one million signatures. What we are calling for is an EU directive which will ensure real recognition of rights for disabled people.
“Currently, there is legislation in areas, such as employment, but nothing across the board,” added Sinnott, vice president of the disability inter-group.
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